Chapter 67

"Strange, how did that happen?"

"I don't know."

Sasa hugged her knees, curled herself into a ball, and stared blankly with lifeless eyes. She looked incredibly pitiful and melancholic.

"Just now, while you two were fighting, I secretly checked the entire Jingo Family's lineage. I didn't find a single trace of genetic material related to Jesus of Nazareth."

"In terms of power, this is genuine Uriel power. But that's simply impossible—this is the universe I created, the foundation of the [Void World Tree], and it doesn't fall within the scope of the [Tree of Life]. Therefore, it is impossible for any human to directly obtain the power of an angel!"

This should have been a given. Since Samael wanted to create her own world apart from the universe created by God, she naturally would have prepared defenses in the lowest layers of the design to prevent other angels from intruding.

Moreover, she is Satanel, the most excellent primordial angel; it's impossible for her not to recognize other angels. All angels would be blocked out by her system. Even that dear brother of hers could only enter by manifesting in the flesh, forming a shell using her matter within her universe.

But now, a gap that cannot be explained has cracked open in the rules.

"Besides, that little girl doesn't look like someone with particularly strong desires or obsessions. If she were a fanatical follower of Christianity, relying on obsession to achieve a connection with the upper realm, that would at least fit the logic of this world—like that so-called Joan of Arc."

"But that girl clearly violates the basic rules of the universe. Her power seems as if it were innate, but who could be born with the power of an angel?!"

"So… I don't know… She is even more inexplicable than you. At the very least, I know you really did fall from the [Tree of Life]…"

The Loli Evil God's usual cynical, mischievous, and silly air had completely vanished, leaving only an indescribable sense of anxiety and unease.

Hearing her say this, Qi Xing could understand why Sasa was so dejected now.

Her fear and nervousness weren't because she was terrified to death by the power of an angel—she wasn't that timid.

She was afraid because seeing one cockroach in the open might mean there were a thousand more hiding in the dark.

What she was truly afraid of was—could my world really be so riddled with bugs that it's falling apart?!

"Perhaps there is one other explanation: this world is truly about to end."

Sasa opened her eyes. Her golden pupils were devoid of luster, revealing a dead-fish-like expression. The corners of her mouth twitched slightly.

"Even its most fundamental logic has started to have bugs."

"When the system of the entire world collapses, I won't die, and your soul won't dissipate…"

She let out a low chuckle, a hollow and weak sound like the final echo in a dark abyss.

"By then, the two of us will just have to float in the endless void together, telling each other jokes… Hehehe… That doesn't seem too bad, actually…"

—Oh no, Sasa has broken down!

However, Qi Xing certainly didn't want that ending.

"Alright. Anyway, I'll be staying in Aomori for a while, so I'll try my best to help investigate further."

"What else are you going to do here?"

"You know the answer, Sasa."

Qi Xing grinned,

"I'm here on vacation, here to have fun, right?"

068: First Date

The afternoon sun filtered through the gaps in the forest leaves, casting specks of golden light onto the surface of the hot spring.

Steam rose and swirled, blurring the surrounding scenery, leaving only a warm atmosphere that softly enveloped the entire world.

Jingo Rin slowly sank into the water, letting the warm current wrap around her slightly aching limbs. The fatigue from the battle was gradually dissolved by the warmth of the hot spring at this moment. She let out a long breath, resting her head against the smooth rock at the edge of the pool, feeling the hot spring soak into every part of her body.

Her fingertips lightly brushed across her arm. She could still remember the vibration of the blade collision from earlier, and remember every exchange she had when clashing head-on with that person.

Her skin, once scorched and then healed, had long since recovered; her complexion was still smooth and flawless, yet the lingering aftertaste of the battle still echoed in her heart.

She scooped up a handful of hot spring water and slowly poured it over her shoulder. The water flowed down her neck, carrying away the sweat and dust remaining from the battle. That spot had been struck by Thunder Fist; the pain still lingered in her memory, but her body no longer bore any trace of it.

Even though there were no wounds left, the aftertaste of the battle remained deep in her muscles; every touch felt like an echo of the encounter just now.

Rin's hand stopped on her shoulder, her fingertips slowly curling.

"This time, it really feels different."

She closed her eyes, and the scene of the duel just now appeared in her mind again. The roar of fist winds, lightning tearing through the void, water dragons and black flames entwining and roaring—the collisions vibrated with a boom that shook the heavens and the earth.

That wasn't the overwhelming [victory] she could easily achieve in the past with a light spar, nor was it the [life] where she had to be careful and restrain herself, afraid to use her full strength. Instead, it was… [play] where she gave it her all.

A true battle is something you can neither lose nor redo. Because in a true battle, there are things you must protect, and if you lose, you lose everything.

So today's battle, for Rin, was just play.

A kind of happy play where she gave it her all, making her heart surge with excitement.

"So there are such experts in the outside world… I was too arrogant in underestimating the heroes of the world."

Since she was seven, Rin knew she was too powerful. With just a little force, she could destroy everything. Most enemies were like paper, and all her family and friends were like fragile porcelain. She had to constantly remind herself: not too fast, not too heavy, not too excessive…

Yet today, her perception was shattered.

Gazing at the ripples in the hot spring, Rin watched them spread out in circles, as if her thoughts were swirling in her mind.

Her power had never been countered head-on like this. Not only did that person not fall, but he actually punched through her, blasting her out of her [Ghost God Exorcism] battle form. Why?

Was it because he was special, just like her?

Or was it because… this world is deeper than she imagined?

Are there many such experts in the outside world?

If… this was just the first one?

She subconsciously raised her hand to touch her cheek. She felt the heat of the hot spring and also felt her own body temperature rising. An unprecedented anticipation, an excitement she couldn't even put into words.

She wasn't good at thinking about these kinds of questions, but she knew one thing for sure. She wanted to fight again.

—Although I cannot leave my hometown, but…

"Lady Rin? Be careful not to faint if you soak for too long."

The maid at home… or rather, more of an adopted sister who grew up with her, shouted from outside the hot spring,

"And don't daydream and accidentally boil the hot spring again like last time, okay?"

"That was all in the past when I was little, Ayame!"

She slapped her face hard, but the shrine maiden didn't notice that she was already smiling, her angelic beauty revealing a dignified grace.

—That person must be from the [International Exorcism Association], like a secret trump card similar to a Tailed Beast Jinchuriki, right?

He didn't look like a controlled slave; he seemed quite willing. Could it be that he had some deep hatred for evil forces, and thus made a deal with the [Association] to use his own body to bear the power of a great demon?

Rin's imagination was actually quite rich. Precisely because she couldn't easily make friends, she preferred reading manga in her spare time. Her room had a large cabinet filled with all kinds of manga. Even Ayame would sometimes sneak in to read them.

In an instant, many, many tragic anti-heroes, characters whose families or lovers died at the hands of demons, and plots filled with deep, burning hatred, raced through Rin's mind!

"Ayame, can you help me check something? The identity of that person today."

Thinking of this, she turned to ask her most trusted partner… However, after hearing this, Ayame showed a very subtle expression: "Lady Rin, although I am gratified that you have started to take an interest in men, at least be selective, won't you? Such a rough man won't do."

"Where is your mind at?"

—

Back to Qi Xing, who was being watched.

His words to Sasa earlier about going out to have fun were completely genuine, without a hint of exaggeration.

Have fun doing what?

With his own beautiful girl by his side, and now that it was a holiday and he didn't need to work, why would he need to do anything else?

So, after Elaine finished writing the report to the Papal Privy Council, Qi Xing didn't beat around the bush and asked her directly: "Elaine, do you want to go out with me tomorrow?"

Elaine had just finished the report and was about to drink some water, but she almost choked because of Qi Xing's words. She coughed a few times before turning to look at him: "Are you… are you asking me out on a date?"

A date.

Come to think of it, Qi Xing had lived two lives and had never experienced such a thing until now.

Although he had been with Elaine for the past two years, traveling around the world. Although they had been to many places together, it was always to handle troublesome situations; they were never able to enjoy daily life, let alone the feeling of a date… After all, Qi Xing had always been very afraid.

But the situation was different now!

"Yeah."

So Qi Xing said,

"Surely you can spare me just one day tomorrow, right?"

Elaine blushed immediately.

However, as a Frenchwoman, she gathered her willpower and calmly retorted: "Qi Xing… have you ever been on a date before?"

Qi Xing said nothing.

"Do you know how to plan a date itinerary?"

Qi Xing was speechless.

"How about I make the plan instead?"

Out of sympathy for Qi Xing, Elaine couldn't help but ask. Although she had no experience either, and used to be a nun, she had at least seen how things were done, which was much more reliable than Qi Xing.

But no, this definitely wouldn't do! Qi Xing still cared about his reputation; he absolutely couldn't accept something like this!

"What could go wrong?" So Qi Xing said very calmly, "It's just a first date, right? It's not like the sky is going to fall halfway through, is it? Leave it to me."

Leave it to you?

Can I really trust you?

However, although she wasn't entirely reassured, receiving Qi Xing's invitation still made Elaine's heart flutter. She hesitated for a moment, then nodded with a blushing face: "Then I'll leave it to you."

Actually, she certainly wouldn't have minded planning it herself. But since tomorrow was her first date with Qi Xing, and since Qi Xing had taken the initiative to take on the task, she decided to leave it all to him.

Just being able to see her happy expression, Qi Xing felt it was already worth the price of admission.

The date for tomorrow was decided in such a rush.

But immediately afterward, he returned to his bedroom, calmed down, and thought about the plan.

A date!

Going on a date with a girl sounds simple, but how should it actually be arranged? Has anyone written a guide for this?

At least Qi Xing had never seen such a textbook.

Sasa was in a bad mood, curled up on the side watching coldly. Seeing him deep in thought, she mocked him impatiently: "Getting so excited just because you're infatuated with that featureless 1-star common card girl, it's honestly laughable to watch."

"Go away, what 1-star common card girl."

Qi Xing had already gotten a bit used to the devil's sarcasm lately, so he dismissed it,

"Who told you to just randomly score people and determine their rank? Can people even be ranked like that?"

"Of course they can. Break everyone down into tags—occupation, personality, hair color, figure, breast size—and you can classify and rank them. Break them apart, rearrange the attributes, and you can even create a new character directly—what's the problem with that?"

Unexpectedly, Samael actually retorted with such a vicious remark, which even made Qi Xing pause for a moment—she was indeed a devil who despised her own creations.

"Fine. It's not a bad thing for you to start tasting from the low levels now."

Unexpectedly, Sasa changed the subject,

"Once you've had your fill of a 1-star N-rank girl, and then see the next 2-star R-rank or even 5-star SSR-rank woman, your desires will naturally grow. By then, you should understand for yourself what the essence of desire is."

Qi Xing immediately scoffed: "Stop talking nonsense. Am I the kind of person who falls in love with everyone I see? I'm already satisfied with one."

"Ha, we'll see."

At this point, Sasa, who had been in a depressed phase, finally regained some interest. She leaned in to look at the date itinerary Qi Xing had written on paper and was pondering—first watch a movie, then chat about their thoughts while eating at a restaurant, then go shopping for some things, and finally take a walk in a place with a beautiful night view of Aomori.

"Pfft."

She was directly amused by what she saw.

"What are you laughing at?" Now it was Qi Xing who got anxious.

"Nothing. Anyway, given that little nun's favorability toward you, and her self-deprecating mindset, she'd be happy even if you took her to eat fast food. This is just right."

"Self-deprecating…" This finally made Qi Xing frown, "I thought that since our heart-to-heart talk last time, her mindset had improved a bit lately."

"The shadows of the human heart are not so easily shaken off."

Sasa dismissed it,